Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral bak'd meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables

Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral bak'd meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables

In William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the character of Hamlet speaks these famous lines to his friend Horatio in Act 1, Scene 2. The phrase "Thrift, thrift, Horatio" is a call for prudence and careful management of resources. Hamlet is advising Horatio to be frugal and not waste money unnecessarily. The following line, "The funeral bak'd meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables," is a metaphorical expression of the idea that the leftovers from one event can be used to serve another.